Adjustable contact means



B F LOLLls ADJUSTABLE coNTAc'r MEANS :Filed Feb. 14. 1924 Dec. l ,11925.

i @MM Patented Dec. 1, 1925'.

UNITED STATES4 PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. LOLLIS, F BERWYN, ILLINOIS.

ADJUSTABLE CONTACT MEANS.

Application filed February 14, 1924. Serial No. 692,933.

vices suchas are used in railway signalingv devices. Inasmuch as railway signaling devices operate on relatively low voltage, relatively line adjustment of the parts is necessary.

An object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable contact means which maybe readily adjusted and which will remain in `adjusted position.

A further object is to provide electrical contact means employing carbon or similar material, which material will be securely held against displacement in service.

Further objects will appear'as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of an electrical relay device employing contact means embodying the principles of the present lnventron.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the plane indicated by the arrows 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view illustrating on an enlarged scale a contact member employing the principles of the present invention.y

Numeral 1 indicates a housing which includes a wall or cover 2. Said housing 1.

' may be provided with a plurality of sight openings closed by means of the transparent closures 3 3. The cover 2 provides mounting means for a pair of cores 4-4, which carry solenoids 5 5. The cores 4 4 have pole pieces indicated by the numeral vo,

which pole pieces are mounted within the` housing 3. Co-operatively associated with the pole pieces 6 6 is the armature 7 whichmay be pivotally mounted by means of the bracket 8.

Carried by the armature 7 are a plurality of contact fingers 9 9, four of which are shown in the illustrated embodiment. of the present invention. Each of the cont-act fin-Y gers 9 9 may be provided with the resilient portion 10 adapted to contact with a relatively fixed` contact member 11. Four contact members 11 11 are illustrated, each contact member co-operating with one of the contact lingers 9 9. The present invention concerns itself largely with an improved construction of contact member 11 whereby' .the objects above referred to may be accomplished.

The numeral 12 indicates a stud having ai portion 12 fitting within a corresponding hole extending throughthe cover 2. Said stud is provided with a shoulder 18 which may be non-circular in cross-sectional outline and which may have abutting relation with a recessed portion of the outer side of cover 2 to prevent rotation of said stud 12.

The upper extremity of the stud 12 may be screw-threaded, whereby an electricalconnector may be securely and intimately fas` tened thereto. The under side of the cover 2 may be provided with a depression indicated by the numeral 14,. which depression receives the collar 15. The collar may have a nonround portion fitting within the walls of depression 14 whereby said collar is non-rotatably mounted on the inner side of cover 2. Said collar 15 slidably receives the portion 12 of the stud 12,'above referred to. Said collar 15 is tightly secured on the under side of cover 2, being held in axial alignment with the stud 12 by'means of the screw 16, whichA may have screw-threaded engagement withv the stud 12 axially of said stud. Said collar 15 is provided with a portion of reduced diameter, indicated by the numeral 17 "which provides an abutment lfor j the head of che screw 16, whereby said screw may securely hold stud 12 and collar 15 in firm engagement with the two sides of the cover 2. Rotation' of stud 12 and collar 15 will be prevented by reason of the fact that, as pointed out above, the shoulder 13 and the cover engaging partof collar 15 will be non-round and will lit within correspond- `of the contact button 20. Numeral 22 indi- Cates a nut y threaded into -the yholder 1S adapted 'to 'abut against the butfton 2l to hold same iirmly in position. For conn venience of manipulation, the nut 22 maybe provided with the transverse slot 23 4for the reception of the screw driver. The numeral 2li indicates a locking collar for holding cont-act holder 18 in vadjustedposition.

It is not considered practicable to permit Workmen 'out in ythe lield to 'make adjustments on electrical relay devices, and for this reason all 'adjustments are made in shops equipped for the purpose, after which the relay devices are sealed up to prevent access to the interior thereof by workmen or other unauthorized persons. In the assembling of a relay device, such as illustrated and described herein, each 'of the contact members ll-l-'l ufiil be 'carefully adjusted and Ilocked in adjusted pt )sit-ion, after which :the relay mechanism will be sealed up -for shipment Ito the lrailway section upon which it is to be used. The Workmen in the field will `have only to connect up the reiay mechanism in the proper circuits.

The manner in which the conta-ct lmembers may kbe 'adjusted vand 'securely held in adjusted position will 'be clear Without-detailed explanation. 1t may be stated, however, that after each of 'the studs 1Q 'has been mounted lin .position with the shoulder l2 on the 'outer side offthe cover, andthe collar 15. on the inner side of theco'ver, said parts will be tightly 'secured to said cover by turni-ngup of the screu7 16. Due 'to the fact that the shoulder 13 and the 'upper portion. of `collar '15 are non rot'atably 'mounted inrecessses on the `two sides oit the cover V2, no rota-ting or loosening e'ects in service will occur in `connection with said stud Y12, collar '1'5 and lscrew `16.

The contact holder 18, after having lhad 'the Contact button l20 andjnut 22 kmounted therein, will be screw-"threaded -`tipon the cols lar l5 (the locking collar Q4 -fir'st Lhaving been 'applied to said collar '15). The vholder i8 may be screwed upon the collar llto the position desired, 'after Lwhich the locking col lar @inlay be turned down into engagement with the upper fa-ce'oil the holder 18150 se curely lock said holder 18 against movement.

By reason of the present invention the Contact button v20 ineach contactmember 1l may be readily and accurately :positioned Lin the 'shops by skilled mechanics. After being so 1'3ositioned,'said contacts will remain in adjusted position dueito the a'cttthatall the parts are securely-held against rotative orV other movement.

Although a preferredembodiment vof the invention `has been described in "detail, it will be clearthat r many modfic'ations Awill occur to vthose skillled `=in the art. It is intcndcdin this patentto'cover all such modificat-ionsthat fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. ln a relayV` device, a housing, a stud extending through a ivall oi: said housing, said stud havingl a portion abutting against one side o'f said wall, a collar for said stud abutting vagainst the other side of said Wall, said stud and collar being non-rotatably fitted to said Wall1 screW-th'readet'l means for holding said 'collar 'in intimate association with said stud l'and Wall, a Contact holder adj'i'istabliv 'mounted upon said collar, and a lock nut 'upon Said 'collafiradapted to 'hold said Contact holder in adjusted position.

2. In combination, Ia Wall., a Contact meniber extending through and securely supported by said v"all, lsaid Contact member includ ing a Wall abutting i'ne'mber non-'rotatably mounted relative 'to 'said Wal-l, a -rcoi'itact holder having V'screw-t'hreaded 'engagement vwith 4'said ivailil abutting member, and a lock mit having screiv-threaded engagement With 'said 'ivalll 'abutting member y'and Al'iavi'ng abut- 't'ing relation With said contact holder.

3. In contact mechanism, in combination, a sul'iportin'g member, 'a collar having sliding eiigage'inei'it therewitl'i, screivthreaded yn'leans for 1holding'said 'collar upon sai-d supporting means, a contact hol-der having'screw-tfhread- 'ed engagement with said collar, said Acontact 'holder having a flanged yend portion, a convvtact button having 'a shouldered 'portion abutting against said lflanged portion, and a `nut 'Wit-hin said Contact holder 'for securing said button against said liai'i'gec'l lpo'rtion.

4. In Contact mechanism, in cox-nbi'i'iatiou. "a supporting member, va collar having slid- 'ing r 'enga-gem'ent 'tliereivitl'n 'screw-threaded means for 'holding "said collar 'upon 'said 'supporting means, a Contact holder hayi-ng screw-threadedengagement ivith said collar, said Contact holder 'having a 'tlanged'cndiportion, a Contact button having a shouldered porti-on 'abutting against said ilang'cd por- 'tionfa vnnt 'u shin said Contact holder `for securing saidbut-ton against 'said flanged portie-n, and a Iocl'hut on'said collaradapted to abut against 'said contact holder to prevent 'saine :from rotative movement upon said 'collar'.

5. In combination, a wall, 'a stud 'extending through said `\va'll, said stud being provided with means for preventing lrotation of 'saidstud relative 'fto said iv'all, v'a collarfslid- `ably Emounted '-n'pon Isaid stud, said collar having 'aportion i'ioai-otatabl'y itted against oi'iesideo'f'said Walhsaid collar having sliding engagement with said stud, Scre\\'- threaded means for holding` said collar in cooperative Erelai- 1miship with' said 'stuft and a contaotfholder having"sereW-thrcaded engagement 'Wi-th said Icolla-r. 6. ln combination` a ivlal'l, a stud Yextendiugthr'ou'gh'said Walh'smd st'ud'b'ein'g provided with means for preventing rotation of said stud relative to said Wall, a collar slidably mounted upon said stud, said collar having a portion non-rotatably tted against one Side of said Wall, said Collar having sliding engagement with said stud, screw'- threaded means for holding said collar in (Jo-operative relationship with said stud, a Contact holder having' Ascrew-threaded engagement with said collar, and a look nut having screw-threaded engagement with said collar and abutting relation with said Contact holder for preventing said Contact holder from rotative movement relative to said collar.

7. In combination, a Wall, a Contact inember extending through and non-rotatably supported by said Wall, said Contact member including a Wall abutting member non rotatably mounted relative to said Wall7 a Contact holder having screw-threaded engagement with said Wall abutting member, a Contact member mounted Within said holder, adjustable means for holding said Contact member in xed relationship with said con tact holder, and aloclr nut having screwthreaded engagement With said Wall abutting member and having abutting relation/ ship With said Contact holder.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this eleventh day of Februar 1924.

BENJAMIN F. LOLLIS. 

